Plea bargains a painful but necessary tool for the criminal justice system - San Jose Mercury News
"The two men charged with gunning down 3-year-old Carlos Fernando Nava in a failed attempt to kill two rivals were free to walk the streets despite violent pasts.
Both had been in the grip of law enforcement for previous crimes but, through plea bargains, were able to escape prolonged prison terms.
Lawrence Denard is the accused gunman, and Willie Torrence is suspected of driving a car used in the shooting.
The handling of their court cases highlights a necessary, but some say troubling, aspect of the criminal justice system, which is forced to process thousands of criminal cases a year with dwindling resources.
"The realities are the system cannot operate without plea bargaining -- we cannot handle the volume," said Laurie Levenson, a criminal law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. "The system is overloaded, and the only way we keep things going is to plea bargain."
More than 90 percent of all criminal cases charged in California are settled through plea bargains, Levenson said. There are just not enough courtrooms, judges, lawyers or money available to bring every defendant charged with a case before a jury.
As a result, district attorneys are forced daily to balance the risks and rewards of reaching a deal with a defendant accused of a crime.
That decision, many said, is based in large part on the evidence collected in a case and the history of the defendant.
For Denard and Torrence, court records show, both the evidence collected against them in previous crimes and their history at the time of their past crimes allowed each to escape long prison terms despite what appear to be violent criminal histories.
"Every time you make a deal, you have to worry, 'Is this the bad apple that is going to cause trouble down the road?' " Levenson said. "It is the risk inherent in plea bargaining, and you hope you make the right decision."
Denard's criminal history dates back to January 2004, when he was accused of being part of a group of young men who mugged a street vendor in the 1100 block of 76th Avenue in Oakland.
Initially charged with robbery, Denard eventually took a plea deal in March 2004 that resulted in him pleading no contest to grand theft and getting five years of felony probation.
Six months later, Denard was arrested by police again after he was spotted by officers with a group of men in a green Jaguar. The officers had received a tip from an informant that the men were armed, court records state.
Denard was found with a shotgun in his pants and was arrested and charged with being a felon in possession of a gun. A month later, Denard took a plea deal in which he admitted violating his probation and was sent to jail.
Teresa Drenick, spokeswoman for the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, said Tuesday that the office decided to give Denard a deal based on the evidence collected during the investigation of his two crimes."
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Police Ombudsman won't step down despite severe criticism in leaked report - Northern Ireland, Local & National - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Police Ombudsman won't step down despite severe criticism in leaked report - Northern Ireland, Local & National - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk
"Al Hutchinson was last night brushing off demands for his resignation as Police Ombudsman.
The former Canadian Mountie was under intense pressure following the leaking of a damning report into his performance from the Criminal Justice Inspectorate (CJI).
"Al is not considering his position. Far from it; he is preparing a response to the report and its recommendations,” said a source in the Police Ombudsman’s office (PONI).
He added that Mr Hutchinson intended setting out his case at a meeting of the Stormont justice committee, which is currently scheduled for September 8, but may now be brought forward.
Last night Sinn Fein and the SDLP led the calls for him to go, saying that his independence was fatally undermined. British Irish Rights Watch, a human rights body, also called for the resignation of Jim Coupland, Mr Hutchinson’s senior director of investigations.
The draft CJI report, leaked to The Detail website, said that Mr Hutchinson had lost the confidence of senior staff and that reports had been rewritten to exclude criticism of the police.
Such concerns, which go to the core of public confidence in the police, became known in April when PONI chief executive Sam Pollock resigned citing interference in the Ombudsman’s work by the Northern Ireland Office, as well as a lack of independence.
The leaked CJI report found that investigators asked to be disassociated from reports they had worked on because their findings were changed. They also told CJI inspectors that key intelligence had been withheld from them.
The report adds to criticisms of Mr Hutchinson’s independence and leadership made in an earlier review of the Ombudsman’s role delivered to Justice Minister David Ford in June.
The latest CJI report said that there has been such a “lowering of independence” by the Ombudsman’s office under Mr Hutchinson that it should be suspended from investigating Troubles-related murders pending a complete review of its structures.
Mr Hutchinson is preparing a response. Although he disputes claims that he is not independent, he believes that the Ombudsman’s office is ill- equipped to deal with historic cases."
Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/police-ombudsman-wonrsquot-step-down-despite-severe-criticism-in-leaked-report%2016037033.html#ixzz1VCoY8guR
"Al Hutchinson was last night brushing off demands for his resignation as Police Ombudsman.
The former Canadian Mountie was under intense pressure following the leaking of a damning report into his performance from the Criminal Justice Inspectorate (CJI).
"Al is not considering his position. Far from it; he is preparing a response to the report and its recommendations,” said a source in the Police Ombudsman’s office (PONI).
He added that Mr Hutchinson intended setting out his case at a meeting of the Stormont justice committee, which is currently scheduled for September 8, but may now be brought forward.
Last night Sinn Fein and the SDLP led the calls for him to go, saying that his independence was fatally undermined. British Irish Rights Watch, a human rights body, also called for the resignation of Jim Coupland, Mr Hutchinson’s senior director of investigations.
The draft CJI report, leaked to The Detail website, said that Mr Hutchinson had lost the confidence of senior staff and that reports had been rewritten to exclude criticism of the police.
Such concerns, which go to the core of public confidence in the police, became known in April when PONI chief executive Sam Pollock resigned citing interference in the Ombudsman’s work by the Northern Ireland Office, as well as a lack of independence.
The leaked CJI report found that investigators asked to be disassociated from reports they had worked on because their findings were changed. They also told CJI inspectors that key intelligence had been withheld from them.
The report adds to criticisms of Mr Hutchinson’s independence and leadership made in an earlier review of the Ombudsman’s role delivered to Justice Minister David Ford in June.
The latest CJI report said that there has been such a “lowering of independence” by the Ombudsman’s office under Mr Hutchinson that it should be suspended from investigating Troubles-related murders pending a complete review of its structures.
Mr Hutchinson is preparing a response. Although he disputes claims that he is not independent, he believes that the Ombudsman’s office is ill- equipped to deal with historic cases."
Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/police-ombudsman-wonrsquot-step-down-despite-severe-criticism-in-leaked-report%2016037033.html#ixzz1VCoY8guR
Monday, August 15, 2011
Local News | King County's death-penalty dilemma: Soaring cost worth it? | Seattle Times Newspaper
Local News King County's death-penalty dilemma: Soaring cost worth it? Seattle Times Newspaper
"The cost of prosecuting two men and a woman accused of two of the most heinous crimes in King County in recent years is $656,564 and counting.
The cost of defending them is even higher: $4.3 million, and also climbing.
Like other counties in the state, King County is struggling with the rising cost of criminal justice, which has forced Prosecutor Dan Satterberg to eliminate the jobs of 36 prosecutors since 2008. But while budget constraints have forced some counties to all but abandon death-penalty cases, King County currently has two active capital cases.
A third, last year's prosecution of Conner Schierman for killing a Kirkland family of four in 2006, has thus far cost the county $2.4 million.
The county's current death-penalty cases include the prosecution of Christopher Monfort, who is accused of ambushing two Seattle police officers, killing one, on Halloween night 2009. Two other defendants, Michele Anderson and Joseph McEnroe, could also face execution if convicted of the slayings of six members of Anderson's family on Christmas Eve 2007.
While trials for the three defendants are months off, defense lawyers are racking up costs for expert witnesses, investigators, forensic analysis and other elements crucial for death-penalty trials. In the meantime, prosecutors, police officers and crime-lab analysts are also tallying up costs while prepping for the trials.
Portland-based defense attorney Jeff Ellis, who handles death-penalty cases across the country, said the high costs of prosecuting death-penalty cases — which can also include years of appeals — has resulted in a drop in death-penalty cases. King County, with two cases, is an anomaly, he said.
"There is a downturn in the number of death-penalty sentences being sought and imposed because of the costs associated with them," Ellis said. "What's happening now [in King County] is a reverse of what's happening nationwide."
In 2010, there were 46 executions in the U.S., including one in Washington state — a 50 percent drop since 1999, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Satterberg defends the county's filing of death-penalty cases despite the high cost. He blames much of the increased costs on what he calls an "industry" that has been created by death-penalty attorneys."
"The cost of prosecuting two men and a woman accused of two of the most heinous crimes in King County in recent years is $656,564 and counting.
The cost of defending them is even higher: $4.3 million, and also climbing.
Like other counties in the state, King County is struggling with the rising cost of criminal justice, which has forced Prosecutor Dan Satterberg to eliminate the jobs of 36 prosecutors since 2008. But while budget constraints have forced some counties to all but abandon death-penalty cases, King County currently has two active capital cases.
A third, last year's prosecution of Conner Schierman for killing a Kirkland family of four in 2006, has thus far cost the county $2.4 million.
The county's current death-penalty cases include the prosecution of Christopher Monfort, who is accused of ambushing two Seattle police officers, killing one, on Halloween night 2009. Two other defendants, Michele Anderson and Joseph McEnroe, could also face execution if convicted of the slayings of six members of Anderson's family on Christmas Eve 2007.
While trials for the three defendants are months off, defense lawyers are racking up costs for expert witnesses, investigators, forensic analysis and other elements crucial for death-penalty trials. In the meantime, prosecutors, police officers and crime-lab analysts are also tallying up costs while prepping for the trials.
Portland-based defense attorney Jeff Ellis, who handles death-penalty cases across the country, said the high costs of prosecuting death-penalty cases — which can also include years of appeals — has resulted in a drop in death-penalty cases. King County, with two cases, is an anomaly, he said.
"There is a downturn in the number of death-penalty sentences being sought and imposed because of the costs associated with them," Ellis said. "What's happening now [in King County] is a reverse of what's happening nationwide."
In 2010, there were 46 executions in the U.S., including one in Washington state — a 50 percent drop since 1999, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Satterberg defends the county's filing of death-penalty cases despite the high cost. He blames much of the increased costs on what he calls an "industry" that has been created by death-penalty attorneys."
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Online threats against New Orleans cop lead to guilty plea | NOLA.com
Online threats against New Orleans cop lead to guilty plea NOLA.com
"A criminal justice professor at a small Massachusetts college pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in New Orleans and admitted stalking and threatening a New Orleans police officer.
Gary M. O'Bireck, 57, of Elmira, N.Y., pleaded guilty to one count of misprision of felony, or failing to report a crime, according to court records.
O'Bireck, a professor at Anna Maria College, a school near Worcester, Mass., was arrested in March for allegedly terrorizing a local cop and accusing the officer of raping O'Bireck's girlfriend in 2007.
The case resulted in O'Bireck's plea agreement with federal prosecutors.
He is slated to be sentenced in December, according to court records. He faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
O'Bireck threatened to harm the officer numerous times during a six-month period that began last August.
He also alleged in numerous postings on the Internet that the officer had raped a Loyola University student in 2007. O'Bireck said he was the boyfriend of the student and wanted the officer to step forward.
"U have 1 day. if we don't hear from u, consider urself a ghost," O'Bireck wrote in one such message.
The Times-Picayune is not identifying the target of the threats, a police officer who has not been charged in any sexual assault.
O'Bireck's online threats also made references to the Hell's Angels motorcycle club, writing that "they'll chop you into pieces."
"Think chainsaws," he wrote. "They hate cops and cops removal is a pastime."
The messages continued. In January, O'Bireck messaged the officer with his telephone number and suggested the two talk.
The FBI later searched O'Bireck's home and computers and recovered the messages.
O'Bireck, who taught criminal justice and sociology, was placed on administrative leave at the school after his arrest."
"A criminal justice professor at a small Massachusetts college pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in New Orleans and admitted stalking and threatening a New Orleans police officer.
Gary M. O'Bireck, 57, of Elmira, N.Y., pleaded guilty to one count of misprision of felony, or failing to report a crime, according to court records.
O'Bireck, a professor at Anna Maria College, a school near Worcester, Mass., was arrested in March for allegedly terrorizing a local cop and accusing the officer of raping O'Bireck's girlfriend in 2007.
The case resulted in O'Bireck's plea agreement with federal prosecutors.
He is slated to be sentenced in December, according to court records. He faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
O'Bireck threatened to harm the officer numerous times during a six-month period that began last August.
He also alleged in numerous postings on the Internet that the officer had raped a Loyola University student in 2007. O'Bireck said he was the boyfriend of the student and wanted the officer to step forward.
"U have 1 day. if we don't hear from u, consider urself a ghost," O'Bireck wrote in one such message.
The Times-Picayune is not identifying the target of the threats, a police officer who has not been charged in any sexual assault.
O'Bireck's online threats also made references to the Hell's Angels motorcycle club, writing that "they'll chop you into pieces."
"Think chainsaws," he wrote. "They hate cops and cops removal is a pastime."
The messages continued. In January, O'Bireck messaged the officer with his telephone number and suggested the two talk.
The FBI later searched O'Bireck's home and computers and recovered the messages.
O'Bireck, who taught criminal justice and sociology, was placed on administrative leave at the school after his arrest."
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Leigh Stubbs, Mississippi Woman, Serving 44-Year Sentence Despite Discredited Testimony
Leigh Stubbs, Mississippi Woman, Serving 44-Year Sentence Despite Discredited Testimony
"Prosecutors in the U.S. often decry what is sometimes called the "CSI Effect." Movies and TV crime dramas like the popular "CSI" franchise on CBS can fill jurors' heads with unrealistic expectations about forensic science. But there's also a flip side to the CSI Effect: Because jurors are ready to believe the fantastical feats preformed by the wondrous forensics computers they see on screen, an unscrupulous prosecutor armed with an expert willing to offer otherwise dubious forensics on the witness stand can cause a lot of damage.
Witness Michael West. In the early 1990s, West, a dentist in Hattiesburg, Miss., was one of country's most prolific forensic odontologists, or bite mark specialists. West claimed to have perfected a new method of identifying bite marks on human skin, saying he could then match them to the teeth of a criminal suspect. Conveniently, West often testified that only he could perform this new analysis, which he called the "West Phenomenon."
Over the years, West broadened his areas of claimed expertise, testifying in at least 10 states as a wound pattern expert, a trace metals expert, a gun shot residue expert, a gunshot reconstruction expert, a crime scene investigator, a blood spatter expert, a "tool mark" expert, a fingernail scratch expert and an expert in "liquid splash patterns." He also got himself elected coroner of Forrest County, Miss. Though West was discredited in a number of national media reports beginning in the mid-1990s, he continued to testify in Mississippi courtrooms until just a few years ago.
Mississippi prosecutors no longer use West as a witness, but state Attorney General Jim Hood continues to defend convictions won because of his testimony. And Mississippi's appeals courts continue to uphold them. There are still dozens of people still in prison thanks either to West's testimony or his forensics reports, and Mississippi officials don't seem particularly concerned about them. One of those people is Leigh Stubbs, now 10 years into a 44-year prison sentence."
"Prosecutors in the U.S. often decry what is sometimes called the "CSI Effect." Movies and TV crime dramas like the popular "CSI" franchise on CBS can fill jurors' heads with unrealistic expectations about forensic science. But there's also a flip side to the CSI Effect: Because jurors are ready to believe the fantastical feats preformed by the wondrous forensics computers they see on screen, an unscrupulous prosecutor armed with an expert willing to offer otherwise dubious forensics on the witness stand can cause a lot of damage.
Witness Michael West. In the early 1990s, West, a dentist in Hattiesburg, Miss., was one of country's most prolific forensic odontologists, or bite mark specialists. West claimed to have perfected a new method of identifying bite marks on human skin, saying he could then match them to the teeth of a criminal suspect. Conveniently, West often testified that only he could perform this new analysis, which he called the "West Phenomenon."
Over the years, West broadened his areas of claimed expertise, testifying in at least 10 states as a wound pattern expert, a trace metals expert, a gun shot residue expert, a gunshot reconstruction expert, a crime scene investigator, a blood spatter expert, a "tool mark" expert, a fingernail scratch expert and an expert in "liquid splash patterns." He also got himself elected coroner of Forrest County, Miss. Though West was discredited in a number of national media reports beginning in the mid-1990s, he continued to testify in Mississippi courtrooms until just a few years ago.
Mississippi prosecutors no longer use West as a witness, but state Attorney General Jim Hood continues to defend convictions won because of his testimony. And Mississippi's appeals courts continue to uphold them. There are still dozens of people still in prison thanks either to West's testimony or his forensics reports, and Mississippi officials don't seem particularly concerned about them. One of those people is Leigh Stubbs, now 10 years into a 44-year prison sentence."
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Timothy P. Silard: California Lagging Far Behind Texas On Criminal Justice
Timothy P. Silard: California Lagging Far Behind Texas On Criminal Justice
"At one time, Texas built prisons as fast as it possibly could. Now, the state is reforming its criminal justice system by focusing on community-based supervision, rehabilitation and treatment programs -- and it is putting its money behind that plan.
As a result, for the first time in its history, Texas is shutting down an adult prison, saving the state $25 million over the next two years. In doing so, it joins a nationwide trend of states that are moving to shutter expensive prisons, reversing a 40-year prison boom. Michigan, for example, has closed 21 facilities as a result of parole and sentencing reforms, according to a recent report.
California, unfortunately, is not currently part of that trend. Our state, which prides itself on innovation, is lagging far behind in criminal justice reform. But California has a unique moment of opportunity to move into the lead in adopting evidence-based, cost-effective strategies to our public safety approach. In fact, now is the time for the state to make a bold move - closing a state prison.
The immediate need is to fully implement Gov. Jerry Brown's plan (AB 109) to shift the state's lowest risk, nonviolent offenders into community-based corrections, and use the already appropriated "realignment" funds for rehabilitation, instead of opening any more prison or jail beds. The plan is part of the state's response to the U.S. Supreme Court's mandate to alleviate its prison overcrowding problems. "
"At one time, Texas built prisons as fast as it possibly could. Now, the state is reforming its criminal justice system by focusing on community-based supervision, rehabilitation and treatment programs -- and it is putting its money behind that plan.
As a result, for the first time in its history, Texas is shutting down an adult prison, saving the state $25 million over the next two years. In doing so, it joins a nationwide trend of states that are moving to shutter expensive prisons, reversing a 40-year prison boom. Michigan, for example, has closed 21 facilities as a result of parole and sentencing reforms, according to a recent report.
California, unfortunately, is not currently part of that trend. Our state, which prides itself on innovation, is lagging far behind in criminal justice reform. But California has a unique moment of opportunity to move into the lead in adopting evidence-based, cost-effective strategies to our public safety approach. In fact, now is the time for the state to make a bold move - closing a state prison.
The immediate need is to fully implement Gov. Jerry Brown's plan (AB 109) to shift the state's lowest risk, nonviolent offenders into community-based corrections, and use the already appropriated "realignment" funds for rehabilitation, instead of opening any more prison or jail beds. The plan is part of the state's response to the U.S. Supreme Court's mandate to alleviate its prison overcrowding problems. "
Monday, August 8, 2011
Duke Gift Helps Anderson University Grow - Greenville News Story - WYFF Greenville
Duke Gift Helps Anderson University Grow - Greenville News Story - WYFF Greenville
"ANDERSON, S.C. -- Anderson University is about to get bigger.
University President Dr. Evans Whitaker announced Sunday that the school will acquire the former Duke Energy Service Center on Murray Avenue in Anderson in a partial gift, partial sale arrangement with Duke Energy.
The university said the expansion is necessary to meet immediate needs and make room for future programs.
According to Whitaker, the 15,000-square-foot building will be a permanent home for the University's growing criminal justice programs and the creation of a criminal justice "center of excellence" in partnership with local, regional, and federal law enforcement and emergency management organizations.
"Our vision is to bring all levels of law enforcement and emergency management into a partnership to create a true center of excellence that will be a national model," Whitaker explained.
Whitaker said the university could not have considered the initiative without Duke's support.
According to George Ducworth, former 10th Circuit solicitor and head of AU's criminal justice programs, the model aims to selectively invite certain law enforcement organizations to locate some of their functions within the building or conduct certain operations from the building. Those organizations will work alongside Anderson University criminal justice faculty and students to create a "real life" laboratory for students to gain first-hand experience.
Anderson University is already viewed as a leader in the criminal justice field. Its Command College of South Carolina was established three years ago as a highly selective graduate program for South Carolina's top law enforcement, emergency management and homeland security leaders."
Read more: http://www.wyff4.com/news/28797111/detail.html#ixzz1USWJyiPj
"ANDERSON, S.C. -- Anderson University is about to get bigger.
University President Dr. Evans Whitaker announced Sunday that the school will acquire the former Duke Energy Service Center on Murray Avenue in Anderson in a partial gift, partial sale arrangement with Duke Energy.
The university said the expansion is necessary to meet immediate needs and make room for future programs.
According to Whitaker, the 15,000-square-foot building will be a permanent home for the University's growing criminal justice programs and the creation of a criminal justice "center of excellence" in partnership with local, regional, and federal law enforcement and emergency management organizations.
"Our vision is to bring all levels of law enforcement and emergency management into a partnership to create a true center of excellence that will be a national model," Whitaker explained.
Whitaker said the university could not have considered the initiative without Duke's support.
According to George Ducworth, former 10th Circuit solicitor and head of AU's criminal justice programs, the model aims to selectively invite certain law enforcement organizations to locate some of their functions within the building or conduct certain operations from the building. Those organizations will work alongside Anderson University criminal justice faculty and students to create a "real life" laboratory for students to gain first-hand experience.
Anderson University is already viewed as a leader in the criminal justice field. Its Command College of South Carolina was established three years ago as a highly selective graduate program for South Carolina's top law enforcement, emergency management and homeland security leaders."
Read more: http://www.wyff4.com/news/28797111/detail.html#ixzz1USWJyiPj
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Achieving a Rehabilitation Revolution
Saw this in my inbox this morning:
Achieving a Rehabilitation Revolution
Tuesday 18th October 2011 • London
For details click: http://www.policycommunications.co.uk/events/rehabilitationrevolution/whyattend.html
Achieving a Rehabilitation Revolution
Tuesday 18th October 2011 • London
For details click: http://www.policycommunications.co.uk/events/rehabilitationrevolution/whyattend.html
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
COD to offer degree in homeland security - Naperville Sun
COD to offer degree in homeland security - Naperville Sun
"The Illinois Community College Board has approved College of DuPage’s request to offer an associate’s degree in homeland security, which will debut this fall at the same time the college opens its state-of-the-art Homeland Security Education Center.
The new degree is an extension of the existing Homeland Security Certificate offered by the college for the past two years. The new degree will provide an introduction to such topics as threats posed by domestic and international terrorism, concepts of emergency management and strategies for preventing, responding and countering catastrophic events. "
Thoughts? Read the rest of the article here and tell us what you think.
COD to offer degree in homeland security - Naperville Sun
"The Illinois Community College Board has approved College of DuPage’s request to offer an associate’s degree in homeland security, which will debut this fall at the same time the college opens its state-of-the-art Homeland Security Education Center.
The new degree is an extension of the existing Homeland Security Certificate offered by the college for the past two years. The new degree will provide an introduction to such topics as threats posed by domestic and international terrorism, concepts of emergency management and strategies for preventing, responding and countering catastrophic events. "
Thoughts? Read the rest of the article here and tell us what you think.
COD to offer degree in homeland security - Naperville Sun
Monday, August 1, 2011
Finding a new life with some help from drug court | The Republic
Finding a new life with some help from drug court The Republic
"PENDLETON, Ore. — Getting through and graduating from Umatilla County's Drug Court program isn't an easy feat. The program takes a minimum of nine months. Most people spend at least 350 days in drug court, and to graduate it takes an average of 516 days — a year and five months.
"It's not an easy program," said Mike Graber, program manager with Umatilla County Community Corrections. "It's not one folks can cheat their way through."
Drug court is funded through a $280,000 Oregon Criminal Justice Commission grant. Those entering drug court usually take it as an alternative to jail, prison or probation time, or another treatment program.
"I think any time you're looking at whether or not there was a good utilization of taxpayer funds to run a program, a lot of it is typically based on hard data that's run," Graber said.
And he knows a lot about hard data. Graber has prepared many reports and statistics on drug court, including a report on the five-year anniversary of the program, which happened this month. Graber can spout numbers of participants, numbers of graduates, numbers of arrests before and after drug court and percentages for all of the above.
But he said there is more to drug court than numbers.
He's seen people come in not wanting to give up a life of drugs. Some have to be forced into sobriety, but once the sobriety takes hold they begin to look at their lives in a different way, Graber said. They reestablish relationships with family members, hold down stable jobs and begin to leave the criminal justice system.
"While you may look at recidivism rates and continued sobriety and the cost of running a program, all that, at the end of the day, takes a back seat to the human stories that unfold in front of you," Graber said. "And it all makes it very, very worthwhile.""
"PENDLETON, Ore. — Getting through and graduating from Umatilla County's Drug Court program isn't an easy feat. The program takes a minimum of nine months. Most people spend at least 350 days in drug court, and to graduate it takes an average of 516 days — a year and five months.
"It's not an easy program," said Mike Graber, program manager with Umatilla County Community Corrections. "It's not one folks can cheat their way through."
Drug court is funded through a $280,000 Oregon Criminal Justice Commission grant. Those entering drug court usually take it as an alternative to jail, prison or probation time, or another treatment program.
"I think any time you're looking at whether or not there was a good utilization of taxpayer funds to run a program, a lot of it is typically based on hard data that's run," Graber said.
And he knows a lot about hard data. Graber has prepared many reports and statistics on drug court, including a report on the five-year anniversary of the program, which happened this month. Graber can spout numbers of participants, numbers of graduates, numbers of arrests before and after drug court and percentages for all of the above.
But he said there is more to drug court than numbers.
He's seen people come in not wanting to give up a life of drugs. Some have to be forced into sobriety, but once the sobriety takes hold they begin to look at their lives in a different way, Graber said. They reestablish relationships with family members, hold down stable jobs and begin to leave the criminal justice system.
"While you may look at recidivism rates and continued sobriety and the cost of running a program, all that, at the end of the day, takes a back seat to the human stories that unfold in front of you," Graber said. "And it all makes it very, very worthwhile.""
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